Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

Sacred Heart Cathedral's student-run newspaper. We've got issues.

The Emerald

From the Archives: SHC Saves Lives

Eighteen years ago, SHC donated 189 pints of blood during the annual fall blood drive. Well, students, October is almost here and this year’s fall blood drive is fast approaching! If you are 16 or older and weigh more than 110 pounds, you are eligible to donate.

In the November/December 1994 edition, Michael Young covered the fall blood drive, detailing the student donors’ day as they took turns giving blood. Although a few details may have changed, the overall experience remains the same, and hopefully, this article will inspire some of us to give blood!


Volume 8
Number 2
November/December 1994

SHC Saves Lives
SHC’s Students Made Bloodthirsty
By Michael Young

The Irwin Memorial Blood Center sent technicians for the first of its biannual visits to SHC on Friday, October 28.

The center’s employees accepted any student over 16 (or under 16 with parental permission) who was physiologically capable of donating blood.

Assigned specific times to donate blood, volunteer blood-letters enjoyed doughnuts, candy, cookies, and orange juice for breakfast in the cafeteria before and after they made their donations, because eating raised the blood sugar level to safe levels, reducing possibilities of fainting and dizziness. (The IMBC strongly recommends that you eat a good meal before donating blood.)

Donors were allowed modified dress to make the whole experience as comfortable as possible.

First the donors filled out forms and underwent various tests to insure their safety and the safety of blood recipients. It was due to this testing that senior Yvette Artiga was encouraged to go to the hospital to undergo further testing which revealed she was afflicted by Hodgkin’s Disease, a 90%-curable form of cancer.

The blood-donating process itself entailed little more than being pricked with a needle and lying around while blood drained from the vein.

Senior Jaynry Mak stated, “It was a good experience, and I know that my blood will be used to benefit other people in need.”

“I need to give blood knowing that I will benefit someone, but I never knew that it would be used to help as many as seven people,” exclaimed senior Leilani Farol.

SHC retains its trophy for the most pints of blood donated in the city (189). One of the workers said that out of all the schools that she visited, she always felt welcomed at SHC.

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